If your backside isn't your most flattering feature, you don't have to skip out on swimsuit season. By adding exercises that work out the thighs and butt into your daily routine, you can tone and firm the muscles of your lower body. Consult a doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Ski Boot Sit
The ski boot sit will help tone the inner thighs and the buttocks, says trainer Rich Barretta in the article The Booty-Camp Workout in "Fitness" magazine. Stand with your feet flat on the floor and approximately hip-width apart. Lift one heel at a time and place a 1-lb. dumbbell directly under each heel. Step back down on your heels, and the handle of the dumbbells, so your feet are slanted slightly downward toward the ground. Fold a hand towel into quarters and place it between your knees. Bend your knees as you lower yourself to the ground, extending both arms straight out in front of you. Bend your knees into a 90-degree angle while pressing your knees against the towel, as if you were sitting down in a chair. Lift halfway up, then lower to 90-degree kneeling position again. Repeat eight to 10 times.
Split Lunge
"Shape" magazine recommends the split lunge to tone the butt, hamstrings and quadriceps. Stand to the right of a chair with its back closest to you. Put your right hand on the back of the chair and your left hand on your hip. Lunge your right foot in front of your left foot with your feet about hip-width apart and the heel of your left foot lifted off the ground. Relax your shoulders and tense your abdominal muscles. Bend both knees so your left knee is almost touching the ground and your right knee is aligned with your right ankle. Strengthen your legs and return to standing, then repeat for a total of eight to 12 repetitions.
Duck Squat
Strengthen your calves, thighs and butt with the duck squat, recommends "Fitness" magazine. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out, at 45-degree angles away from your body. Hold one 10-lb. dumbbell with both hands, just in front of your hips. Bend your knees to squat into a plie position, until your knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Keep your knees behind your toes as you lower yourself. Bend your knees to rise back up and repeat as necessary to tone the legs and butt.
Turnout
Tone and strengthen the buttocks with the turnout, "Shape" magazine notes. Stand behind a chair and place your right hand on the chair's back. Place your left hand on your left hip and bend your knee so the arch of your foot is resting against your right knee. Contract the muscles in your butt as you rotate your left leg so your knee is pointing toward the left wall. Do not move your right leg and keep your hips aligned with the back of the chair. Rotate your knee back to the original position, then continue for a total of 16 reps.
Begin in one-legged squat position, with left knee lifted at thigh height, right knee bent slightly and torso lifted. Keeping left knee elevated, contract your buttocks as you rotate your left knee out as far as you can, keeping hips square. Slowly return knee to starting position, then repeat. Perform 12 to 16 repetitions.
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